Level 8 of 10: The UN and global treaty bodies

United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

The United Nations Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security under Article 24 of the UN Charter, and members agree under Article 25 to accept and carry out its decisions. It has 15 members: five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) and ten elected members chosen by the 193-member General Assembly. Procedural decisions need nine votes; all other decisions need nine votes including the concurring votes of the permanent members, which is the basis of the veto. The presidency rotates monthly in English alphabetical order. The UN says non-members can take part in discussion, without a vote, when their interests are affected or they are party to a dispute.

Who leads it

• President of the Security Council, October 2026: Aglaia Balta (Permanent Representative of Greece) (since 2026-10-01) (webtv.un.org)

The UK and the UNSC

The UK is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council and holds the veto, according to the UN. Along with China, France, Russia and the United States, its seat has no fixed term.

Key figures

What it decides

• Binding decisions on member states: UN members agree to accept and carry out the Council's decisions (Charter Article 25).
• Primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, acting on behalf of UN members (Article 24).
• Resolutions on conflicts and situations, adopted with nine votes and no veto from a permanent member.
• Procedural matters, which need nine affirmative votes with no veto.
• Establishing subsidiary bodies such as sanctions committees and peacekeeping missions (Charter Article 29).
• Inviting non-members to take part in discussions without a vote when their interests are affected or they are party to a dispute.

Timeline

• 1945-06-26: The UN Charter is signed in San Francisco. (icj-cij.org)
• 1945-10-24: The Charter comes into force. (icj-cij.org)
• 2022: The General Assembly sets up the Veto Initiative, requiring a debate within 10 working days of a veto. (news.un.org)
• 2026: Bahrain, Colombia, DR Congo, Latvia and Liberia join the Council for two-year terms. (news.un.org)
• 2026-06-03: The General Assembly elects five members for 2027-28. (news.un.org)
• 2026-10-01: Greece takes the monthly presidency. (webtv.un.org)

How it is held to account

• The General Assembly elects the ten non-permanent members by secret ballot with a two-thirds majority (UN News).
• Under the Veto Initiative the General Assembly must meet within 10 working days of any veto to debate it publicly (UN News, November 2025).
• The Council acts on behalf of all UN members under Article 24 of the Charter (UN Charter, Chapter V).
• Non-members whose interests are affected, or who are party to a dispute, can take part in discussions without a vote (UN News).

Records you can check

• Current members of the Security Council
  Permanent and elected members with the presidency order
• Charter of the UN, Chapter V
  Articles 23 to 32 on composition, functions, powers and voting
• UN News: new members for 2026
  Who joined and left, and the voting rules
• UN News: 2027-28 election results
  Vote counts in the June 2026 General Assembly election
• UN News: veto debate
  The General Assembly Veto Initiative and the 2025 vetoes

Common questions

Who are the permanent members of the UN Security Council?

China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, according to the UN. They hold permanent seats with no fixed term. Under Article 27 of the Charter, each can block a non-procedural resolution by voting against it, which is known as the veto. The other ten seats are elected by the General Assembly.

How many votes does a Security Council resolution need?

Article 27 of the UN Charter says procedural decisions need an affirmative vote of nine of the 15 members. On all other matters, nine votes are needed including the concurring votes of the permanent members, so any of the five can block a decision.

Who are the Security Council members in 2026?

The five permanent members, plus Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia and Liberia, who joined in January 2026 for two-year terms, and Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia, whose terms end in 2026, according to the UN. Austria, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, Zimbabwe and Kyrgyzstan take their seats in January 2027.

How are non-permanent members chosen?

The UN says the 193-member General Assembly elects them by secret ballot, with seats allocated by regional group and a two-thirds majority required. In June 2026 it elected Austria, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, Zimbabwe and Kyrgyzstan for terms starting on 1 January 2027.

Who holds the Security Council presidency now?

Greece holds the presidency for October 2026; its ambassador, Aglaia Balta, briefed the press on the programme of work on 1 October, according to UN Web TV. The presidency rotates monthly in English alphabetical order of member names, according to the UN Library's research guide on Council membership.

Are Security Council decisions legally binding?

Under Article 25 of the Charter, UN members agree to accept and carry out the Council's decisions. The Council acts on their behalf under Article 24. Whether a particular text is binding depends on its content; the Charter does not make every statement or recommendation binding.

What is the General Assembly veto initiative?

The UN says the General Assembly set it up in April 2022. It requires the Assembly to meet within 10 working days after a veto is cast. It does not override the veto but guarantees a public debate on each use.

Other bodies at level 8

• Commonwealth of Nations
• International Court of Justice
• International Criminal Court
• International Labour Organization
• Interpol
• NATO
• UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• United Nations (General Assembly and Security Council)
• United Nations Children's Fund
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
• United Nations Human Rights Council
• World Food Programme
• World Health Organization
• World Trade Organization

Sources

• Current Members of the Security Council (UN Library research guide), read 23 October 2026
• Security Council: New faces, old tensions (UN News), read 23 October 2026
• UN Charter, Chapter V: The Security Council, read 23 October 2026
• Kyrgyzstan wins seat on UN Security Council (UN News), read 23 October 2026
• Veto power and global gridlock (UN News), read 23 October 2026
• Press conference by the Security Council President, October 2026 (UN Web TV), read 23 October 2026